Old Moor again

Took my second trip out to Old Moor yesterday.

Figured that the rain might not bother the ducks as much as it would the usual stuff I,m out looking for !

A good day for me with another 3 lifers to add to my tally !

I Spent just short of 5 hours watching: Black Headed Gull, Common Tern, Cormorant, Great Crested Grebe, Little Grebe, Mallard, Gadwall, Ruddy Duck (lifer), Tufted Duck, Redshank, Oystercatcher (lifer ..so far as I can remember !), Sanderling (lifer), Little Ringed Plover, Ringed Plover, Dunlin, Greylag Goose, Canada Goose, Mute Swan, Lapwing, Moorhen, Coot, Magpie, Pheasant, Kestrel, Starling, Jackdaw, Pied Wag, Reed Bunting, Chaffinch, Linnet, Great Tit and probably some which I forgot too.

Heard my first Sedge Warbler in a reedbed but as I couldn,t see it I,m not sure if that counts as a tick ??

No sign of any Serins flying over though ….. As if I,d know ….

I Watched a guy in the Wader Scrape hide doing a watercolour painting while getting the finer details through his scope too. Very talented guy ..I was dead impressed !!

These ere scopes are handy tools !

Sunk Island and Spurn

Yesterday I took a trip to East Yorkshire, to the Sunk Island/Stone Creek area and on to Spurn. I managed to mop up some embarassing “bogey” birds in the shape of yellow wagtail, corn bunting, whimbrel and a stunning hen harrier, plus saw other good stuff over the course of the day including the amazing hunting barn owl above, a probable marsh harrier, and a hobby.

See this post on my main blog for more details and photos.

Old Moor.

Took my first ever trip to Old Moor today ..

Loved it and didn,t want to come home ! Its the first time I have ever been to somewhere like that and I will be definitely going back for more.

At first I was a little unsure about what to do and if I should chat to other folk in the hides or remain quiet , I did eventually get chatting to a friendly guy who was quite understanding about my constant … ‘whats that’ …’whats that’ .. whats that !!’ ….

This ‘water bird’ business is all new to me …

Saw … Ringed Plovers, Dunlin, Common Sandpiper, Lapwing, Redshank, Greylag Geese, Gadwall, Mallards, Tufted Duck, Coot, Moorhen, Tree Sparrow, Bullfinch, Great Tit, Reed Bunting, Willow Warbler, Robin, Swift, Linnet, Kestrel, Canada Geese, Mute Swan and probably some which I have forgotten already ..

7 of the above were all first timers too which made it a great afternoon …

‘First timers = Lifers’ is that right ??

A fox put in a brief appearance too at the far side of one of the lakes which was a nice addition to the afternoons entertainment.

Anyway, the only downside to the visit was that now I want a scope !!

Cuckoos !!

I decided to take a walk around my local patch despite the gloomy skies although I left the camera at home and just travelled with the bins. Rain and cameras are not good friends….

My local patch usually consists of Wharncliffe Wood, Wharncliffe Chase and Wharncliffe Heath although I do sometimes travel through the surrounding areas too at times.

The Curlews were out and about and I saw half a dozen or so during my travels. Willow Warblers, Chaffinches and various Tits were also present in various areas. I headed down towards Wharncliffe Lodge and heard a Cuckoo in the wood behind the farm. As I passed through the gate beside the Lodge I came to the area where 3 weeks ago a kind guy had introduced me to the calls of a male Redstart, I did manage a fleeting glimpse of the bird at the time but nothing great though. This time was far better and as I walked beside a walled area used for the ewes during lambing I spotted 2 males and 2 females flitting from the wall and into the grass and back again. It was a great chance for a photograph .. Wall to rest on .. birds only metres away as they weren,t aware of me due to ’said wall’ .. No bloody camera !!! Just to rub it in I also spotted another male sitting on a fencepost a little further on .. 5 Redstarts in one day .. .great !!

A couple of Wheatears were in the open area behind the farm which was quite nice considering the gloomy day.

Now .. I dont know how many of you can actually do this but I discovered today that it works an absolute treat !!

I was now in the area where the Cuckoo had been …errrr… ‘cuckooing’ … No signs now though.

If you cup your hands together and form a hollow in your palms, by blowing in between your thumbs you can produce a sound like an Owl (no doubt one or two of you will know what I mean) I once saw a TV programme where a guy attracted a Tawny Owl by doing this. By altering the shape of your hands you can vary the pitch so its quite easy to imitate a Cuckoo.

As there was no-one around to take the p*ss, I decided to give it a go being as I have never seen a Cuckoo, I sat on a rock beside the edge of the wood and gave it a shot. To my absolute astonishment but also delight the Cuckoo flew over to a tree right on my side of the wood, I got a great view through my bins and to be honest I was staggered that it worked so well. I continued calling and the Cuckoo then flew out over the field and circled me, things then got even better as a second Cuckoo appeared from the same wood and I was treated to an acrobatic display of tumbling and turning between the 2. I dont know if it was 2 males in a territorial dispute or a male and a female courting but it was great to see nevertheless. The 2 were even mobbed by a couple of Meadow Pipits who I,m assuming were under the impression that they were Sparrowhawks. Well either that or they recognised them from last year and were unhappy about the lodger they ended up with in their nest …

So .. a dreary day ended up being one of the brightest I have had for a long time ..

The fact that I had attracted the Cuckoo by calling it made it an amazing experience and the great views made it even more so. But …..no bloody camera !!!!

Seeing a Hare on my way back across the Chase was quite nice too ….

A great day for taking a camera out ……. Bugger !!

I was going to take a trip out to Old Moor tomorrow but I might just take the camera back out to my usual haunt instead …. Hope it doesn,t rain …

Bretton Lakes Update

The last ten days at Bretton in West Yorkshire have seen an impressive influx of our commoner warblers, with Chiffchaffs (above) and Blackcaps (below) paving the way for the first Whitethroats and Willow Warblers. And before long the bramble patches of Menagerie Wood will be gurgling with Garden Warblers – my all time favourite!

Although the plainest of birds and the most ludicrously named (your garden would need to be the size of a football field and go untended for a decade to attract one!), they must have the best song of the family – well the UK branch anyway. Their breathless hundred mile an hour solfeggio is a proper warble – none of the Chiff’s  stuttering or the Willow’s ‘let me put you to sleep’ with these guys, just full on and totally in your face. No sir – spring hasn’t truly arrived until you’ve heard you first Garden Warbler!

Garden Warbler delivering from a bramble patch at Bretton last year

Paull, Pat, and Spurn

Although the summer visitors seem to have been trickling through at a steady rate since the last few days of March,  I have seen a more noticeable number of migrants reaching the county in this last week. Our house martin have begun nest repair and reclamation; (the tree sparrows have beat them to the mud huts again) though the swallows have yet to show (unusually, I should add; every other year the swallows have beaten the martins). The chiffchaffs are already singing, and it should not be long until we are hearing the first blackcaps I think.

Up until today, I have had little chance to use my extensive Easter break for some British birding, but thankfully I broke out of the rut with a long  and productive day’s tour of Holderness. A 5 o’clock start to get on site before sunrise seemed like a wasted effort as thick fog threatened visibility. At my first port of call, Paull Holme Strays Nature Reserve, it did seem that the murky weather would be making a nuisance of itself, and I hoped that it would not persist. Despite the weather, I got curlew, oystercatcher, shelduck, mallard and redshank feeding on the exposed mud, tufted duck and little Grebe on the pond, and across on the Humber’s edge turnstone hurried about on the pebbles, whilst cormorants fished the silty water. A wheatear hopped about on the rocks, giving me some hope that my trip migrant hunting was not in vain.

The next stop was Patrington Haven, where, if anything, the fog was even thicker. No sign of any Twite, a bird that I had hoped for, but I managed to catch up with a few of the usual suspects- mainly birds that I had already seen at Paull.

I arrived at Spurn at 9, and began with a trek up to Beacon Lagoons. Just metres from the car I heard (but did not see) a grasshopper warbler singing from the the undergrowth. The ponds themselves were very quiet, no sign of the fog lifting and little in the way of birds. A few nice grey plovers mixed in with the curlew, and 3 pairs of ringed plovers added a bit of interest. Also saw a pair of snipe in the field to the south of the lagoons. Further down the road, I picked up a lone redwing, probably(like me) waiting for the weather to lift before heading to the breeding grounds. A Yellow Wagtail was seen from the first hide. I started on the long road down to the lighthouse (dodging the £3 for now) and things started to pick up. Straight away, I spotted a small group of Little Tern flying over head, and a single avocet on the estuary mud among the redshank, curlew, oystercatcher, grey plover, knot, dunlin and bar-tailed godwits. A falcon on the beach caught my eye, and what I thought was going to be a kestrel turned out to be a handsome male merlin.

Got talking to the YWT guy (who was after my 3 quid) and he put me onto a hawfinch down at the very end of the peninsula. A good hours searching yielded nothing in the way of the Hawfinch, but a little flock of siskin, six fieldfares, a shitload of meadow pipits and a white wagtail sweetened the deal. Also given a tip on firecrest back at the Crown and Anchor so thought I’d try heading back up there, on the way stopping of at the grasshopper warbler to see if it’d show. No luck with the latter, but stopping at the car park found a female black redstart loitering around the toilet block. Up at the pub car park, unbelievably, the firecrest showed in minutes, even letting me snap a few very poor photos. The day was picking up and the fog had even cleared a bit. I headed back for a second go at the Hawfinch, armed with a little more information gleaned en route from A to B. This time, I was in luck. A brief sighting opposite the sheep fields was enough to keep me happy.

With time to spare, I decided to take the coast road north to Hornsea in the hope of seeing the lesser Scaup that birdguide claims to be there. Saw nowt of it, but it was reported again so I must’ve been in the wrong place. The journey wasn’t too wasted, saw a Barn Owl on the way (near Holmpton). There  were lots more swallows and house martins at the mere too, as well as a final wheatear to finish the day as it started.

Driving back from Hornsea I saw a second Barn Owl close to home in Risby. Day total of  71. Also seen 8 Roe Deer as a bonus point.

Lesser Spot

Even getting just a glimpse of our smallest and rarest woodpecker is a real thrill, so having the opportunity to watch one at the nest-hole this morning was quite magical. Lesser Spotted Woodpeckers go unnoticed for much of the year but for a few weeks each Spring the birds make themselves easier to catch up with by frequently drumming and calling.

 

 

Setting up home in a dying willow at a disused picnic site near Meltham (Huddersfield) the pair were taking turns excavating their nest chamber just twelve feet from the ground – though the female (pictured) seemed to be doing the lion’s share of the work!

 

To avoid disturbance this photograph was obtained from a safe distance with the aid of a friend’s long lens (1500mm including converters) and has been cropped considerably.

Beetles !!

Hi again,

More ramblings from my rambling …. as usual ….

I had a very good day in all and it started with a couple of Grey Wagtails as I crossed the stream just prior to entering Westwood. The wood itself was fairly quiet with a few Chaffinches, a couple of Goldfinches, Great Tits, Blue Tits and 2  Treecreepers.  An attempt at a photograph was thwarted as they insisted on staying around the opposite side of the tree from me no matter where I went.  It could have turned into a scene from Benny Hill so I decided to leave it ….

I crossed over the fields towards Bromley Farm and what I,m assuming was the same Chiffchaff I saw the week before, was still in the same short row of trees.  Sadly he wasn,t feeling quite so photogenic as before and refused to stay put. Maybe word has travelled on the ‘grapevine’ of my identity. Chiffchaffs are coming thick and fast now and through the whole walk I must have heard around 15 or so.

Got you ... sucker !!

From there I went into Copley wood which produced a Nuthatch, another couple of  Treecreepers and the odd Blue Tit. I did manage a half decent pic of one of the more gullable Treecreepers though …  Copley Wood does seem to be improving but I reckon it will be a long time before I get excited about passing through …

From there it was through Wortley Park where I managed to fluke a pair of Buzzards .. I was taking a look through the bins at Ferrybridge Power Station (as one does) and spotted them circling lazily in the distance. A few weeks ago I saw a pair in roughly the same area so I,m taking it that these are the same ones.

The walk through to Wortley Village was dotted  with Chaffinches and a Robin who knew nothing  of my reputation as I marched with ill deserved  confidence towards the bush he was perched in.  Off  came    the lens cap with my now patented  ’Zorro’  movement and before he knew it he was    immortalised forever on this page !!  As you can    see he was blushing profusely when he realised  what had occured ..

I then walked down the fields and eventually to  the River Don. I never fail to spot a Dipper here  and  today… was an exception … Sadly it was a  nice sunny day and there were some ‘normal’  people out walking. They were about 20 yards in front of me and as usual I got the ones suffering from Tourettes.  This ensured that my walk along the Don was to be an uneventful one. I did manage a Moorhen which looked as though it was either nesting underneath some overhanging tree roots or was just too scared to brave the tirade of expletives which were flowing freely from the ‘normal’ people’s mouths. Fortunately they turned off which left me a short stretch of river to enjoy in peace. A long distance view of a Grey Heron cowering further downstream was at least something to see before I turned off into Wharncliffe Wood. The wood was populated with a few Chaffinches but not much else.

My walk over the Crag was again quiet but I did  manage to spot 2 Green Tiger Beetles which were  my first of this year . Ferocious wee guys by all accounts and I,m told that they will eat anything they can get their jaws on !! I,m not stupid though and I used my ’super duper zoom’ from the top of a large rock ….

I took a slight detour through the second part of the wood to check out a Great Spotted Woodpecker’s nest from the previous year. I,m hoping to get some good shots if she uses it again. There was  a Woodpecker of the correct ‘flavour’ alarming close by to the nest but I just got a brief glimpse as it flew over my head and disappeared. I will keep an eye out though.

My walk around the Chase  was nothing exciting with a few Meadow Pipits and a Skylark . My old mate ‘Mr Wheatear‘ was absent this time around though. I did see my first Swallow of the year which is always a good sign (unless you are a midge of course).  Fortune smiled upon me despite this in the shape of my very first Little Owl.  It was spooked by some more ‘normal’ people and as luck would have it, the owl flew to my side of Pales Wood.  I only had a brief glimpse through the tangle of tree branches but it was enough for a positive ID. Obviously a photograph was too much to ask for and the owl spotted my frantic scuffling and fled to the south side of the Chase.

A little further towards the shooting lodge I saw  a pair of Yellowhammers and got a pretty good  shot of a Meadow Pipit sitting on a post.  As I left  the Chase and went back into Wharncliffe Wood I  saw a Curlew cruising lazily by before  disappearing over towards the south side of  Pales Wood.  From there I started my walk back  along the country lanes towards home. A small  flock of Fieldfares were present again as they  have been for the last few weeks now and they played ‘bloody hell’ with me for disturbing them (as they  have done for the last few weeks now)

A little further along I saw ….. could it be ? …… Him again !!!!!

I wont even comment here  ….. It was more or less the same area though ….

A little further down I spotted 2 Red Legged Partridges (a split second before they spotted me) and another Swallow .. dont get too excited though as apparently 2 dont make a summer ….

A little further along I managed quite a cool shot of a Squirrel scoffing his .. well whatever he was scoffing ..  I thought this one warranted a full size shot !!

Plenty seen during this walk but too much to attempt to mention in detail (although God knows I tried  :-)

Here is a list of the days sightings:

Goldfinch, Grey Wagtail, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Chaffinch, Treecreeper, Chiffchaff, Pheasant, Nuthatch, Buzzard, Robin, Song Thrush, Meadow Pipit, Skylark,  Swallow, Little owl, Greenfinch,
Pied Wagtail (no comment), Wood Pigeon, Collared Dove, Blackbird, Wren, Great Spotted Pecker, Red Legged Partridge,Fieldfare, Yellowhammer, Curlew, Siskin, Starling, Rook, Carrion Crow, House Sparrow, Grey Heron, Mallard, Moorhen, Dunnock, Kestrel …

37 species in a day aint so bad …

More soon.

Dave

(apologies for the bad formatting but it looks completely different in the editing section ??)

Garganey and others at Potteric

I was lucky enough on Sunday to catch up with the drake garganey that’s been present over the last week or so at Potteric Carr. Also there recently have been a record 11 avocet, 4 of which were still loitering at Huxter Well during my visit.

The black-necked grebes have returned, and will hopefully breed once again, but sadly they weren’t around on Sunday.

Shrike!

Just on the very edge of Yorkshire (and probably just nudging in Derbyshire, sorry!), but I was lucky enough to see this little gem last night after work, just by the A57.

It’s still there today, according to Birguides – look for it in the bushes by the road at around SK222876, just west of the Strines turnoff (obviously being very careful of the busy, pavementless, 60mph road…).